14. Chapter FourteenAaron
Chapter Fourteen
Aaron
A week later, my wife, Ivan, and I were headed for a home visit to Nodoor. She’d insisted on seeing my home since her only time spent there was in a military base as a captive in a dirty prison. I wanted her to see the good side of my kind and to meet my family. It pleased me that she seemed to care. We’d had a good several days since my rut. It was odd to think that such a primitive nature could have brought us closer together, but it gave us the space to be vulnerable. Well, for me to be vulnerable. I suddenly felt foolish for not being forthcoming earlier. It didn’t mean I thought her understanding was what I deserved. But I did desire it.
Melina leaned forward and looked out of the front window. “This is your city?”
I nodded. “My home.”
“I wasn’t here last time.”
“No. You were at a military installation. This is a citizen town. My family lives outside of the city, but I thought it would be fun to stay in the city for our time here. Also, my mom lives with my sister and her family, and it’s crowded there. I didn’t think it’d be comfortable. We’ll see them tomorrow.”
Melina still looked around the town as we drove. My home was different from hers in its aesthetic—more sleek, less color. The buildings were a mix of black, gray, and tinted glass and several stories high—much taller than how the Prinaths built their buildings. It was colder, I supposed, but it was home .
She leaned forward to continue her observations. “You should see your family every day. I wouldn’t have minded staying in their home, or I could have stayed in an inn while you stayed with them.”
I pulled up to the inn that I had booked for us and parked the transporter in a lot next to the building. “This will be better.” I twisted around and poked Ivan, who was sleeping across the back seating. “Wake up.”
He opened his sleepy eyes and yawned as he sat up. He breathed deeply, inhaling the fresh air from a partially lowered window. “Aww, I can smell fresh bread.”
I opened the door. “That’s because we’re across from a bakery.”
I got out, walked over to Melina’s side, opened the door for her, and helped her out.
Ivan opened his door and got out as well, smirking at us. “Didn’t open my door.”
I side-eyed him. “Am I married to you?”
He shrugged and went to the rear of the transporter to remove our bags from the back compartment. “So, what’s the plan for today?”
I helped him take out bags; my wife packed more than I expected for only a week’s stay. “I plan to show my wife around our town.”
Ivan headed toward the inn. “Fun, I’ll hazard a guess that I’m not invited?”
We followed him inside, the black doors opening when we neared them. “You’d guess right. We can see you tomorrow. Plus, don’t you have family and friends to see?”
Ivan pouted. “You get married and forget all about me.”
Melina looked up at me with raised brows. “He can come with us.”
I looked around the inn. Inside was more lavish than I expected, with granite flooring, glass and leather furniture, and tinted glass windows connecting to glossy black walls. Black, indigo, and navy-blue plants and flowers decorated the edges of the interior and sat atop the tables and counters. The intake desk stood off to the left, and I headed in that direction. “No, I’d rather he didn’t. I want you all to myself. I barely want to share you with my family.”
She snorted. “Don’t you mean your family won’t want to share you with me?”
I gave her a soft smile. “No, Rabbit. They will love you just as much as I do.” I froze as soon as I said it. Love. I’d never told her that. My heart was very much wrapped in her, but I’d never allowed my mind to wander to more. We were moving to something solid, and I didn’t want to scare her with a confession that was too early and unthought-out, even if it was the truth. I’d already confessed enough, but she had infiltrated my soul with every moment connecting with me, including her tricks.
Her eyes widened, appearing very shocked, and I held up a hand to stop her from responding. I didn’t want this to be awkward. She didn’t need to feel the same. I had only recently exposed my dark past, and it would take time. “Don’t say anything to that slip of the tongue. Let me get us our room.”
Ivan leaned into me as we walked to the counter. “That was quite smooth of you. But a few pointers. Next time, declare it confidently, and don’t backtrack by telling her it was a slip-up. Anyway, I’m glad you’re finally letting go of the past.”
I shook my head. “I can’t let it go, but she’s worth me moving on for. I’ll just be fortunate if she ever loves me back.”
Ivan nodded and slapped me on the back. “Well, you just left her stunned and dreamy-eyed, so I’d say it’s a good sign she feels the same way.”
I turned slightly, and Ivan bumped my shoulder. “Don’t look back, mate. You’ll make it awkward.”
Little did he know I was already feeling that way. I was just a husband declaring his love to his wife, whom he’d only known for less than two months. There was nothing awkward about that. I checked us into our room, leaving Ivan to fend for himself for the time being.
Melina walked behind me, gazing at the surrounding décor as we headed to the lift to take us to our room. “I thought I’d get my own room,” she mumbled.
This woman enjoyed testing me.
We entered the lift, and I pressed our room floor. “I think you knew better than that. I don’t think I can sleep without you by my side anymore.”
She nudged me with her elbow, although she had a pleased smile on her lips that I adored. She liked me more than she cared to admit, which gave me hope. “You’re just saying that. It’s not been two months together. You don’t need me to sleep.”
I wasn’t sure if she believed that. Perhaps I was failing at convincing her how much I liked her—loved her. I’d have to do better. I leaned over and kissed her. Her mouth was sweet as she pressed into me. “I need you, Rabbit. Very much. ”
And that wasn’t a lie. Being with her had become almost healing. I wasn’t sure how she would receive that, so I didn’t say those words. She wasn’t meant to be my healer. I didn’t want to put that work on her.
She wrapped her arms around me and pressed her cheek to my chest. “I like lying beside you, too.”
“I want you to know, Melina, that I haven’t talked to you about claiming because I want to do it based on love, not fear. I didn’t confess, so you’d let me claim you. If that’s what you’re thinking.”
She squeezed me closer, and I rested my chin on her head. This felt so right. I wasn’t sure I’d ever let her go. Saying that might scare her, though. “I wasn’t thinking that, Aaron. We’ll do the claiming when it’s right. And I don’t take what you said earlier lightly. I know you said not to respond, but let’s just say you aren’t alone in your feelings. And also…thank you. Thank you for opening your heart to me and finally giving me space to do the same.”
I closed my eyes, my chest tightening at her words. This omega. My omega. Her words were enough. They were everything.
* ~ * ~ *
The following day, Ivan, Melina, and I saw my family. Ivan joined us because my mother adored him. Melina had her glamour on, which she usually maintained outside our home. I took pleasure in her letting down her glamour at home, although I didn’t care which option she chose. I ultimately just wanted her to be comfortable and happy.
As expected, my family loved her. I could see the relief all over my mother’s face when she saw how the two of us communicated. She even pulled me aside and said she believed we were a good match. My sister and her family seemed to enjoy her just as much, with my sister insisting on taking her shopping later in the week. Even my new nephew stayed quiet when Melina held him. I did not doubt that when both our families met, it would go smoothly.
The only obstacle to our happiness was me.
“You haven’t claimed her,” my mother observed when we had our moment away from the others in the enclosed kitchen.
My mother was tall and plump with waist-length wavy gray hair that she often wore in a braid. While I looked more like my late father, I had her eyes. And those steel eyes were now looking upon me with worry.
“Does she not like you? I don’t see how that’s possible,” she went on, crossing her arms.
I leaned against the counter, feeling at ease in surroundings filled with good memories. “We like each other very much, Mother. I just am having a hard time getting past what happened a year ago. It feels wrong to tie her to me with a claiming. But I love her.”
My mother’s eyes darkened, and I was taken back to the time she would have to come to the prison to visit me, eyes full of tears that it would be the last time, fearing that they would execute me. She wasn’t angry with my actions and always supported me. Her rage was directed at our leadership, and no amount of pleading helped.
“My son, what you did was noble. She knows that, right?”
I nodded. “She’s not the problem. It’s me. She’s Prinathian. How can I deserve her after what my kind did to her? She was kidnapped, too.”
She put a hand to her chest, looking out at the kitchen entrance, leading to the living room and dining room areas. “That poor dear. I had no idea. I understand why this has been challenging for you. But she was saved. And you weren’t the cause of those other Fae’s harm nor her kidnapping. And she seems to adore you.”
My face wrinkled in pain. Didn’t she understand how much I was to blame? “I helped capture them.”
“And tried to set them free. Do you think if you hadn’t been there, they wouldn’t have gotten captured? You put too much pressure on yourself. You were a soldier following orders. More Fae would have died if it wasn’t for you. You did more than any other, and you suffered for it. Unfairly.” She uncrossed her arms and placed her hands on either side of my face, a gentle smile lighting her own. “I am so proud of you, son. And I think Melina is, too. If she wants your claiming and you want to claim her, then do it. You’re both smart adults. Stop overthinking things. It’s time to set yourself free.”
Set myself free. I wanted to. And I had to do so fast because claiming Melina might be the difference between life and death for us both.
* ~ * ~ *
“I had a great time with your family,” Melina said once again as we dined at a small lounge in the city later that evening.
It was dark, sexy, and intimate. The food and drink were some of the best in town, and there was live music tonight. It also gave us a reason to dress up. Or, rather, a reason for me to see Melina in a ruby-colored dress that framed her curves and accentuated her chest. She practically sparkled in the dim lighting, her blue braids now in ringlets, some partially pulled up in a bun so I could see her graceful neck, a neck I wanted to bite and claim. This was really going to be a problem for me.
She pushed away her almost empty plate of food, smiling at me with grateful eyes. “Your mom is lovely, and your sister and her family are perfect. Although, your sister did ask me about getting claimed.”
I chuckled. “My family can be pushy.”
She moved over closer to me in our tiny booth, leaning into my chest. I wrapped my arms around her, pressing my cheek to the top of her head as we sat quietly for a moment, enjoying the performance on the tiny stage.
“On an unrelated note, although I’m sure you won’t believe me,” she began, ending our comfortable silence. “Remember how I mentioned that when I was kidnapped, sorry to bring that up, that a guard made sure I remained safe?”
“Yes,” I replied cautiously.
“Well, we keep in touch occasionally, and I told him how I was coming here. He asked to meet me for breakfast tomorrow.”
I tensed, no longer so content. “Why?”
She straightened up, picking up her drink. “Because we bonded over a very traumatic time for me. It would be good to reconnect in a more positive setting. ”
“Again, why?”
She paused, mid-sip, and put her drink back down. “He was nice, and I would like to know how he’s doing. And he works for the police force here. Maybe he has some inside information to share about the attacks on the treaty couples that he’ll let us in on. Our leadership isn’t telling us everything.”
I lifted my upper lip in a silent snarl, unmoved by her explanation. “You could have called him.”
I took a sip of my drink; it tasted bitter going down my throat now, and my mood quickly soured. I was secure, but now that I was in love with her, my position changed. However, I couldn’t expect her to come around just because I did.
“You’re upset?” She leaned forward into view. “I can cancel. I don’t want to do anything to make you uncomfortable. Well, not anymore.” She smiled slightly, and I understood her reference to her earlier pranks.
I shrugged, looking around. She was being open with me, and I was no tyrant. However, my alpha sensibilities sometimes fought me on that. “No, don’t cancel. So, what time are we going to meet for breakfast tomorrow?”
She lifted a brow. “We?”
I narrowed my eyes at her, mildly disturbed. She thought I’d be comfortable with her meeting without me. I could admit I had a jealous bone or two. “Yes, we. I’m not letting my wife go to breakfast in a town she doesn’t know to meet some strange man.”
“Well, he’s not strange,” she muttered. “And it’d be weird if you went, too. ”
She eyed me, a playful glint in her red eyes. I see she was not done playing tricks with me. I rolled my shoulders back, looking around the darkened room. “Wife, are you still trying to annoy me? This would be your best trick yet because you have finally succeeded. Although, I’m not going away.”
She playfully snickered, covering her mouth, eyes gleeful. “I’m sorry to laugh. While I am meeting the guard, his name is Lucian, I want you to come with me. That’s why I told you. I have nothing to hide.”
She had played me, and she seemed very unapologetic about it. Perhaps it was time to stop being so careful around her. “You like playing with me, don’t you?”
She shrugged, taking a sip of her drink.
I smirked, expecting her nonchalant response. I leaned toward her, brushing the back of my fingertips over her neck. “Do you want to see how I play?” I whispered before sucking her earlobe.
I felt her body tense, and her sweet fragrance thickened the air. I laid a hand on her thigh, slowly lifting her dress as I moved my hand higher. “Do you know why I like this place? Because it’s small, dark, and everyone minds their own business.”
“Do they?” she breathed out, still clutching her drink.
I kissed her shoulder, my hand still rising on her thigh, only inches now from her center. “Yes. Spread your legs for me.”
“What are you going to do? ”
I chuckled. “You’ll find out. When is your heat coming?”
She spread her legs for me and sucked in a breath as my hand slid toward her inner thigh. “I have almost a week.”
“It’s mine.” My hand hit her center, my fingertips feathering over her omega-slicked panties. She was so wet for me already at my touch. My dick twitched at just the feel of her warm softness.
Her chest heaved quickly, and her eyes focused forward as if to hide what I was doing to her. “What’s yours?”
“Your heat. You’ll give it to no other.”
“Is that an order?”
“Yes.”
Her lips curved to a smile in the dim light. “Ah, there’s the bossy alpha I’ve been waiting to see. Is this the real you?”
I slipped my fingers beneath her panties, gliding it over her drenched pussy lips. “Just another side that wants you with no one else. A side that wants to claim you.”
Her scent expanded around me, and I could only assume she liked what she heard. I circled her clit and watched her bite her lip. However, she wasn’t entirely in the moment, her eyes darting nervously at the other patrons to see if anyone was paying attention to us. Perhaps there were a few eyes, but I couldn’t see them. “Others can guess what we’re doing.”
I couldn’t care less. I slid a finger inside her, and she gasped. “Pay attention, Rabbit, or I’ll stop. Unless that’s what you want me to do?”
She looked back at me with pouty lips and rounded eyes as if she were concerned that I would stop.
“Good girl.” I pumped my finger faster inside her, my thumb continuing to circle her clit. “I want you to look at me as I make you come.”
I pushed my magic out to brush over her nipples, giving her the feeling of gentle sucking. She pushed her chest out, panting. She placed a hand over her mouth as if that would hide her impending climax. Her legs started to shake, and the air was thick with her sweet scent, making me hard. Desperately, she grabbed at my arm’s sleeve with need, as if I could ground her.
And then she broke apart in my hands, keeping her eyes on me as I instructed. It was beautiful seeing her come. Her eyes almost pained for the desperate release, lips partially opened in a silent whine. She flooded into the palm of my hand, and I continued to rub, using it as further lubricant.
“Aaron,” she cried over the music but said nothing else, breaking eye contact and tossing her head back.
I slowed down my rubbing, not entirely pulling away. As I continued, I did allow my eyes to look around the room. What I saw was not unexpected. Our not-so-hidden display had affected those around us. At various tables, patrons were engaged in other intimate acts, some full-on sex. Others were on their knees, giving oral or straddling and humping. Standing in a corner were two entwined bodies pounding into each other. Even the singer on stage gyrated and grabbed her breasts as she sang a slow, sexy melody; her bandmates played their instruments with glazed, lust-filled eyes .
I looked back to Melina, the back of her head resting on the booth as she slowly regained her composure. Gods, she was so beautiful. I wanted to tear off her panties, push her against the table. I ached to drive into her with abandon, unbothered by onlookers. I longed to ruin her. I grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her closer to me, smashing my lips into hers. I continued to manipulate her dripping core as I licked inside the heat of her mouth.
When she came again, moaning in my mouth, I finally released her, a satisfied smile on my lips. “Do you see what we’ve done to the room, Rabbit?”
She looked around again, her heavy lids raising as she looked and listened to the soft moans of the patrons competing with the music. “How did we do this?”
“Our alpha and omega scents in an aroused state can affect others. It’s like an aphrodisiac got pumped into the air.”
“Amazing,” she breathed out, still looking around.
Her amazement was cute, and the alpha in me was happy she hadn’t had such an experience before to know what our connection could do. I placed the finger I had inside her in my mouth, groaning and rubbing my hardness at the delicious taste. I had to have her. I needed to be buried deep inside her. Fill her with my seed. Would she let me? I wouldn’t beg, but I was feeling desperate.
“I’m going to scent you tonight, Rabbit. Make every male, including that guard of yours, know that you are taken. That you belong to an alpha who will fight for you.”
Her mouth formed an o shape as she looked at me with questioning eyes, but her scent sharpened, betraying her shock for something more. Desire. “How will you do that?”
I lowered my head, still gazing over at her with devious intent. “Take off your panties.”
“Why?”
I sighed, running a hand through my long hair. “Never mind.” I could be just as playful as her.
She stilled, then grabbed her drink, gulping it down. I cocked a brow, observing her moves with humor. She then lifted up and slid her panties down, leaning sideways to remove them. I held out a hand, and she placed them there, asking no more questions. Either she trusted me, or her curiosity was currently in control.
I took the panties and stuffed them in a pocket of my trousers. I then loosened my belt and shifted so that my cock could spring free. I slowly began to stroke my leaking member, desperate to be buried deep within her.
“Sit on my lap, gorgeous,” I ordered, still pumping, fist tight around me.
Her eyes widened as she watched me, her tongue darting out to lick her lips. “You want to fuck me in public?”
“Absolutely. Let there be no question that you’re mine. Now, will you ask me more questions, or will you let me give you a right, proper fucking?”
She bit her lip, eyes excited. I wasn’t expecting her to be so cooperative about doing something so intimate in the open. It was a particular interest that I had dabbled in in the past. Perhaps it was her impending heat that was ruling, or maybe something shifted in her mind that she hadn’t expressed to me. I’d have to question her about it all later. For now, I was thankful she was such a willing partner.
She wiggled over in the booth and slowly lowered down on my cock, facing the table. I grabbed her by the hips to help align her, and when her velvet folds surrounded me, I groaned at the silky heat of her. We began a slow rhythm of me pushing forward as she pushed back, her whimpers music to my ears. She leaned forward, gripping the edge of the table for balance as I thrust into her, her slick leaking into my lap.
“Do you like this, Omega?” I asked in a tight voice, my orgasm threatening to arrive too soon.
She nodded, not speaking.
I tightened my grip on her, pausing her movements and stopping my own. “I need to hear you say it.”
She snorted. “You really are bossy. Yes, I like this, my alpha.”
My alpha. I shivered. “And do not forget that, Omega.” I smiled, biting my lower lip as I plunged forward again. She whined as we quickened our pace. It would not be long now. I glanced around me, noticing a few equally busy patrons eyeing us, visual entertainment to excite them further. However, I didn’t need to see them. I had all I needed right with me.
“Do you like them seeing us? Like them seeing that you’re mine. Let every alpha or beta in here know that you are claimed, even without a bite.” I moved a hand into her lap, rubbing her tender clit again, and she gasped, still rocking. “Let them know I’m yours. You’re perfuming all over me, gorgeous. Making such a mess. And I don’t fucking care.”
She trembled, and then I felt her orgasm again, squeezing me. “Fuck, Aaron, yes!”
At the call of my name from her mouth and without much control left, I came right after her, releasing inside her heated entrance. I gently bit her shoulder, forcing myself not to press my teeth hard into her skin to claim her. She was my wife and would know how precious she was to me in every way, including my heart. There was no doubt. In my soul, I loved her. And I wanted her love in return.